Too Late
by Catseye
Summary: He He He. A fluffly little Misty-Ash fic which I thought of. Ya see Misty leaves Ash and that's all I'm going to tell you so read on and review please or no Chap 2 for a good while. I can work on other things instead ya know...
1. Too Late

AN: Don't go by the title especially for you hardcore fans you'll go nuts over this fic. *hits head* oh no! I just gave something away no, no, you did not hear me say that ah forget it! Read on.

Misty took a final look at her room and hung up the phone. She signed deeply and continued to pack her large suitcases. She nearly cried when she thought about what she was leaving behind. It was only when she realized that her eyes may start to match her hair if she didn't stop did she wipe her eyes in her jacket sleeve. "Why do I worry myself with this?" she thought out loud "I'm...T'm...great I can't even say it. Big, brave Misty and I can't even say that I'm finally ahhhh" she hit her suitcase with both fist and then laid on her bed again. She daydreamed about little saphires surrounded by bits of gold. It was her secret dream to have a child whom she could give something to last as a family heirloom. At this rate it would never happen. Everyone had someone in their lives - everyone except for her. Misty bolted upright. "Why should I be sorry that I'm... I have nothing here and if I stay I never will have anything. I bet I'm not even wanted." she almost started to cry until she heard a knock at the door.

"Hey Misty" Ash's head popped through a crack in the door. "Don't you know that you wait for an answer before you come in? What if I were getting dressed in here?" she said this a snappily as usual. "Then I'd have nightmares for weeks" he replied. He had this way of saying something odd in such a serious way that Misty used to love. Or did she still love it? Debating over this caused her to keep silent for a while, concentrating on the wall but looking beyond it in a sense. It was only when she realized she might look a little weird did she snap out of it and looked more gently at Ash. "So what did you want?" she asked much more softly than before. A wide smile spread across his lips. "Well I didn't hear ya for a couple of minutes so I thought something was wrong." She almost felt like crying again so she looked away instead. "I'm leaving in the morning you know. I was just on the phone with Rudy and he's offered me a place to stay until I get my own" she was speaking so softly that she was barely audible. Ash stared shocked for a while and ran off.

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That night, Ash through a great going away party for Misty. There was a little wine and champagne there for after all they were old enough to drink so it was no problem. Misty remained quiet for nearly the entire time. Ash sat next to her and grinned "well Misty, it looks like we'll finally go our seperate ways after so long. Hah. You know I just thought of how quiet it'll be without you here. There aren't many people who can nag like you can." He was still smiling. Misty took one look at the one she had known for ten years and had followed through every adventure and every obstacle. She looked long and hard that the face of the one she used to love and started to cry. The big grin started to fade. "Aw, don't cry Misty we'll all miss you - especially Violet - but don't worry, we'll all get a long fine without you here." Misty stopped crying for a moment and then burst out crying even harder than before. She briefly said excuse me and ran upstairs into the house to her bedroom. "What did I say?" Ash said as he sat there watching the house where Misty had just run into to. Violet held her hands in her head, Rose groaned and buried her head into Brock's chest and shook it slowly back and forth, Gary rolled his eyes and said 'pathetic' under his breath as he had so many times before, Brock murmured poor thing and Tracy sighed deeply and leaned against a nearby tree. But none of them, not one was sorry for Misty-they were sorry for Ash.

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	2. Too Late (part 2)

Ash stood on the boardwalk and waved goodbye to Misty. She still seemed kind of mad but she still waved a little. _Finally a little peace and quiet and Misty is on her way to a better life...I should be happy for her _he thought while walking home with Pikachu. He slumped down on the couch and turned on the TV. Pikachu cocked his head to one side and saw that Ash was in one of those thinking/grumpy/sad moods where he didn't pay much attention to anything or anyone. Pikachu simply hopped over to Proffesor Tracy's lab to run around with the other Pokemon. Maybe he could even learn something from Togepi since Misty left everyone behind. Ash simply stared at the TV but didn't really see anything as if a Hypno put him in a trance. It was only when he saw Pikachu leave that he snapped out of it._ That's certainly odd. Pik only leaves like that when I'm upset and I'm not. _He took another glance at the door and walked out toward the new harbor again. _*sigh* Maybe I am a little upset. But what do _I _have to feel sorry for. I should be happy for Misty shouldn't I? She's off on her new life where she'll meet new pokemon and new friends and maybe even a new... Oh come on I can't be upset about _that. _Misty was nothing but a loud pain. A loyal pain who was a close friend but a pain none the less. Was? She still is my friend...I hope. Oh great. Now I realize what's bothering me. I didn't send her a going away gift. And now it's too late for that. Plus I never figured out what was bothering her. Uh. I'd better ask Brock or Violet. They're really close to Misty so maybe they'd know _something. _I certainly think I'm clueless about it._

He got up slowly still watching the harbor and he simply stood there for a while and then he turned around and bumped into Rose, scaring him an causing him to fall on the ground again. Her big pink eyes in brass frames stared down at him and she extended a hand to help him up. He shakily took it and dusted himself off. "I couldn't help noticing you here so I came to see if there was something wrong. Still recovering from the shock, he almost forgot what he was there for. "I was just thinking..." he almost told her what he was thinking about until he remebered one of Rose's favorite hobbies - teasing. Although she was 27, a year younger than her husband Brock yet five years older than Ash, she could act like a big baby sometimes. She was barely taller than Ash and her wild red hair stood out among her purple T-shirt and blue jeans. She completely contradicted the typical ideas of scientists but looked much more like a mental case in Ash's view. Somehow she had managed to aquire the skill of sneaking around so quietly that you could not see her at all until she said something - despite the bright clothing and the red mass on her head. You could never sneak past her and she never missed a single detail and always could predict what one was thinking. The lack of privacy always made Ash uncomfortable around her and this time was no exception. "Well then what were you thinking about?" Ash gave her a sidelong glance and sighed again. "I was just thinking about what was bothering Misty yesterday. It's kind of too late to make it up but I couldn't help wondering." He braced himself for an onslaught of teasing but none came. Rose wore a serious face and not her usual care-free one. She slowly shook her head. "You really don't know do you Ash" she waited for him to shake his head and then gently pushed him down onto the rocks. She sat up straight and faced the sea while he looked at her. "Ash...I really shouldn't tell you, it's not my place but.... Misty was mad at you because, well excuse me for saying so, but you're and idiot. Completely ignoring what's going on around you." She turned around to him again. "What do you think of Misty, Ash?" He was completely suprised by this question. "Well...I...I really don't know. I guess she is just a really loud but loyal friend. She was there through every adventure I've every been through. Constantly screaming at me or something else but very supportive. She was almost like...something but I'm not sure." Rose shook her head and had to snap him out of one of those dreamy gazes across the sea. "Then let me ask you this. How do you think Misty felt about you?" Ash was starting to get angry now. "How is this suppose to answer _my _question?" Rose matched his anger with her own fiery temper, making her hair grow even brighter. "And you wonder why no one helps you. I try to make you realize something and you go all ungrateful on me. I'm probably the only one who will even give you the slightest hints. I can assure you Ash Ketchum, no one here will tell you anything, not because of me mind you, but because you are a stubborn, incompetant, ignoramus!" She got up quickly and stormed off mumbling 'stupid little...caudex...can't even...pestis...ungrateful...the nerve of that..._equus asinus_.' Ash didn't even _want _to know the words in between what he heard and what on earth was an _equus asinus_? 

Ash walked around and then decided just to go home again. He had to think about what Rose said - the hints part not so much what she said about him. Maybe even that held some clues. 


	3. Too Late (part 3)

Hiyo! Don't mind me just saying that I have listened to a review and made this one longer. See, reviewing does help so be my guest and do so(pleeeeeeeeeeeze). And the more reviews the quicker chap. 4'll come out. One word will do and it will be done in a matter of a day or so otherwise I'll work on my other fics before this one. Anyway I can assure you it's longer that the first too but don't get your hopes up, I'm a weird writer. Oh yeah and I realize I may have many typos and gramaticel errors (se ther's one)

Ash sat there on the couch staring out the window. He was at Brock's house having dinner. It was the first time in weeks that he had a real dinner. He usually just ordered a very large pizza and eat that the entire day and cold pizza the next day then pizza crust and sauce for breakfast in the morning and then he'd order out - chinese usually - every once in a while. This was the first time he broke that two month cycle with a _real_ homecooked meal. Since Misty left...

"So Ash" Rose started "What have you been up to lately"

_As if she dosn't have the slightest clue of what I'm up to. I bet she's doing this to be annoying. _

"Nothing much." She sat down after serving the meal for the afternoon. Mashed potatoes, steak, a couple of carrots and other vegatables at the side. For dessert, she had a large blue plate holding some jello in the shape of bell. Ash admired the large layout before him with a wide gap where his mouth used to be. The meal may have seemed small but to Ash it was a banquet. He sat at the table and dug in. Brock and Rose watched in awe at how quickly he wolfed down the entire meal. In between gulps and sips of weak sake, he gratefully said thanks for the meal many, many times. When he was done he realized that Brock and Rose hadn't even touched theirs. He looked questioningly at them completly unaware of how odd he seemed. 

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Oh nothing. Maybe it's just that no one has ever liked my cooking so much. Not even Brockie here." she said proudly making Brock blush a little.

"Well it sure beats pizza...Are you going to eat that?"

In the end he had three servings of mashed potatoes and steak and about four pieces of jello to Brock's astonishment. He couldn't eat that much even when Rose forced him to especially when she had the desire to cook something. Ash stayed for a little while longer after dinner just talking about the weather, pokemon and life in general. He tried to keep his mind straight on one thing. When he finally left it was getting dark. He walked back in and half-conciously petted Pikachu. He then resumed his usual position on the couch in front of the TV. Pikachu was starting to worry about Ash. He wasn't his usual energetic self though even a Slowpoke could see why. Pikachu figured he was only getting in the way. It was a shame Pokemon couldn't write though. Ash would just have to figure out that Pikachu wanted to stay of at Tracy's. Maybe some trips to the lab would make Ash happier a little happier-that is until he realized what he must do. Yes, visits to the lab could cheer his trainer up. Then the weird thought occured to Pikachu - for once in his lifetime, he was taking care of Ash instead of the other way around. He almost laughed if the situation weren't so serious. It's was then that Pikachu took his warm blanket, given to him by Misty, and left.

It was then that Ash glanced up. _Pik sure is leaving often. And with Misty's gift too. Hmm. The place sure is peaceful without her. Right now she would be nagging 'How can you be so messy Ash Ketcham?' or 'Don't tell me you're going to leave that there' I can still hear her now. Then she'd be complaining how Rose could cook carrots and saying how Rose could make green jello that looked like a bellpeppers. She could have been myut is her? It makes no sense. _He shifted positions on the couch._ I wonder what Rose meant when she said 'How do you think she felt about me?.' Scientist. They always complicate things. How on earth does Brock understand a word that she says. She's...Great off the subject again. Why do I keep avoiding this question...why can't I... _He glanced at the clock cutting off his thoughts once again. It was only seven o two. He felt like he had been sitting there for ever and only five minutes had passed by. _I guess this is what happens once you've accomplished all of your goals - you become bored to the end of time. Funny though that through all of Misty's rantings where I only half listened to her, I was never this bored. Even when we just sat at the table away from each other, totally silent, I still was never bored like this. I'll just hit the sack. Maybe _something _will come to me overnight. _

It was a night of nothing but tossing and turning, every hour, every minute. It was near one o clock Ash realized when he looked over at his clock. He lied back and stared at the roof._ That clock. Every morning when it didn't wake me up Misty would walk in here and roll me off the bed. Then there was breakfast where she always had to cook. And there was that one time when I tried to and she took one look at it and ran to the bathroom to throw up. Then she forced me to throw it out before she got sick again. I wonder if there ever was a time when she was nice to me. Hmmm...I...wonder...if that's what Rose was talking about. That she hated me? Could that be why she left. Well if that's the case, good riddens. I'm glad she's gone. She was noisy and bossy no matter what I did for her......what did I do for her? All through my years as a pokemon trainer she was there, thick and thin, no matter what the situation. She didn't even leave my side when we went to Cerulean, even though she had to confront her sisters again. Plus she never once left even when I was a little thick-headed. Who am I kidding. I was very thick-headed. _He was sitting up straight now, staring into the darkness. _Maybe...no maybes I still am. Maybe even worse than ever since I'm older than I was before. I never changed and maybe that's why Misty left. Rose was actually right. Then again, when was she wrong? And what did I do for _her_? Give her a home but then again she could have stayed with anyone. She had her own place in Cerulean. Keep her company? No, she had plenty of friends. The same ones I have. Maybe she stayed because...because she..._

He groaned and dropped back into bed and covered his head with a pillow. The sun was coming up. He should get dressed and maybe go outside for once but he did not feel like moving until he figured out why Misty left. He heard a knock at the door and heard the squeak of it opening too. _I can't beleive that I was too lazy to lock my door. _Instead of rising to see if he was getting robbed or someone was coming to kill him he just raised his bare arms and crossed it over the pillow on his head. Right now, he didn't really care. If they killed him it would have to be quick and short so he couldn't think anymore than he had been lately. Intensive care would be horrible-he could _only _think then. All of this would just give him a huge headache sooner or later. Maybe even the headache didn't come so that he could think more. Stupid brain. He heard someone knock at his bedroom door but he didn't answer. Probably one of his friends and he was in no mood to talk to _anyone _now. 

He heard a someone whisper "I hope he didn't..." and apparently someone else was there who said "Oh don't think such bad thoughts Rose"

He groaned again. Violet and Rose. He could recognize Violet and Rose's voices anywhere. _Why must I constantly be tortured like this. I'd rather stay here in my room until I nearly starve and become an old hermit who can't figure out one simple question._

"Ash?" one of them asked.

He didn't even look up and didn't flinch like he normally did. This was the third time they came to 'cheer him up' but the worst thing was: It never helped to his misfortune. He suddenly had a slight hatred for both Gary and Brock. But...it wasn't because they brought Rose and Violet to Pallet where they would constantly bug him but something else...and once again he created another impossible headache-that-will-never-come for himself. How would he live out the rest of his life like this? He was only 22 now. 

"Hey Vi, could you scoot for a little while and..." Ash saw Rose whisper something in Violet's ear and saw her nod and leave the room. "And as for you Mister" Rose turned to face his direction from what little he could see from under his pillow. "We need to talk." she said and sat down.

"Just have a seat" Ash said sarcastically "Be my guest. Come into my house and send Violet off on some errand like your in command." His voice was partly muffled by the pillow.

"I will just keep in mind that you are cranky right now - even though you're being pretty rude - so that I don't do anything drastic. Look, I'm here to help you out and apoligize that I lost my temper like that, although it was your fault but Brockie'll never forgive _me_ if I didn't say that. Sometimes I wonder...oh yeah, your problem, now I know what's bugging you - Pikachu filling me in on the details - and I'm here to help. This has gone on long enough and someone has to put a stop to it."

Upon hearing 'I know what's bugging you' Ash pulled the pillow down from his face, sat up, and at looked Rose in the eye from his bed.

"That certainly got your attention. Now if my guess is correct you've been thinking about Misty this entire time but you haven't the slightest clue why. Correct so far?"

She watched Ash nod yes but never taking his eyes from Rose.

"So what have you come to on your own so far? No I'm not a psychic and can read _all _of your thoughts so you have to tell me somethings."

Ash almost smiled but not quite. He couldn't imagine himself smiling for a very long while. The funny thing was that when she said he first sentence he was thinking exactly what she said afterwords. What scared him was that she put emphasis on the all. But he couldn't take time now to find out what made Rose tick or all of these weird women he knew, _that _was something to be left for a higher intelligence...if intelligence got that high...which somehow he currently doubted. He snapped back from his previous thoughts to answer Rose's question. His eyes never left her but his mind did, constantly.

"Well...I do realize that I haven't been that nice to Misty over the years. She's been with me through everything but I've done nothing for her." he said a bit painfully. He _was _talking to Rose here.

She smiled brightly and started to rise from her seat. "Good then. I won't have to explain much to you. I'll just leave you with this thought. _Why _do you think she stayed then and here's some advice too:follow your gut feeling no matter how ridiculous it seems at first and you'll pull out of this little depression in no time. Although I may have said to much already. But you know it's quite interesting how your psychological prowess seems to..."

Violet popped up behind Rose cutting her off with a tap on the shoulder. _What a relief _Ash thought _she could have gone on for hours._ Violet walked up to Ash's bed and laid a plate of food done for him and decisevly whispering into his ear.

"Some food for your thoughts and don't mind Rose, she means well but she _does _analyze for a living and that's all to be expected. Good luck Ash. I know you'll pull out of this well." she smiled and walked off and closed the door behind her. Ash stared at the wall and ignored the plate in front of him even if he hadn't had anything for the entire day. _Back to the drawing board. _he thought with a deep sigh.

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_It's been at least an hour and I'm still stuck with this. Three months, twenty seven days, nine hours, twelve minutes, fifty seven seconds, fifty eight...fifty nine...Maybe this will keep my mind at rest for awhile. Three months, twenty seven days, nine hours, thirteen minutes, twenty seven seconds...twenty eight...twenty nine...thirty...I wonder if Misty is this bored...great. Looks like I'll have to solve this before I can finally get on with my life. *mental sigh* Mom made the life of an adult look so easy while I slaved away at algebra problems thinking that was as tough as it got. Boy was I wrong. Misty...the next time I see her we will really have to talk about all this torture I'm being pu through. I should stick with the 'she hates me' theory and call it a life. But that's impossible. It makes no logical sense, it dosn't sound right either and _nothing _in my life nowadays is simple. Anyway...it dosn't feel right. Not like the Misty I know. Heh. As if I really know her when I can't even see how she felt about me. _He started chuckling to himself in the empty room (empty except for clothes and stuff everywhere) _It sounds so serious when I say 'felt about me' as if she...no, whatever it is I am not denying it. Not anymore. She did. I know it. Misty loved me. And that's why she left? *mental sigh* Well no duh einstein since you never gave the girl a second glance. She was tired of waiting, she had to be. So patient. I could never put up with me for so long and get nothing out of it. But something still remains here. Something is still not right........Rose's other question...How _do _I feel about her?_ Ash was perfectly still for those next five minutes. He didn't move, barely breathed. He wasn't even sure if he blink in those five minutes. But those five minutes seemed to be endless, endless and empty. He thought of nothing and said nothing - something he couldn't even imagine himself doing looking back on the last three months, twenty seven days, nine hours, twenty six minutes and...two seconds. He snapped out of his trance his mind completely cleared - the first time for a long while and then a quick image of Misty at Maiden's Peak. 

"Well now that's much easier" Ash said out loud for no one in particular. "I love her and I always have, I just ignored it through my pokemon."

"Well now that you've been enlightened on your feelings, what are you going to dod about it Ash?" Rose said from the doorway of his bedroom; her arms crossed and leaning against the door frame. 

Ash didn't bother to wonder or ask how she got there but instead he smiled and answered "I'm going to go after her no matter how long it takes and I'm going to tell her whether she still loves me or not but first I'm going to warm up this delicous meal and make my travel arrangements. By the way, did you already plan a small going away party for me already?"

"Yes" she said with complete honesty " though it was supposed to be a _supprise _going away party. At this rate-o-realization you'll discover how to perform cold fusion before yours truly."

"Oh that's easy. You just take an ice cube, put a string on it and put salt on both of them and there you go." he said with his mouth full of food.

"Never mind. Good luck Ash." Rose turned away and walked downstairs where everyone was waiting, all concerned about Ash, and she nodded, everyone apparently knowing what it meant. _Maybe it isn't too late after all. _she thought over the loud cheers of joy which Ash clearly would hear. 

YAY I FINALLY FINISHED!!! Sorry but I'm a really slow writer, even when it's doing something I really like not to mention the fact that I'm a slow typist but don't worry, chapter 4 is coming soon...er although that's not very reasuring. *sigh* Where's Washu-chan when you need her. 


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